Performance and Perceptual Responses to Cluster Sets in Pneumatic-Resistance Exercises: Impact of Exercise Selection, Sex, and Strength.

Purpose: This study examined the effects of cluster sets (CS) versus traditional sets (TRAD) on performance and perceptual responses during pneumatic chest press (CP) and leg press (LP). Exercise-specific differences and the influence of sex and strength were also explored.

Methods: Forty-seven recreationally resistance-trained young adults (23 male and 24 female) performed CP and LP at 70% 1-repetition maximum in either CS (4 × [2 × 5], 30-s intraset rest, 150 s between sets) or TRAD (4 × 10, 180-s rest between sets) in randomized order. Mean concentric velocity (MCV), MCV loss, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and estimated repetitions to failure were recorded. Repeated-measures analyses of variance were used for statistical comparisons, with sex and strength included as exploratory variables.

Results: MCV was higher (P < .001, partial η2 = .272), RPE was lower (P < .001, partial η2 = .246), and estimated repetitions to failure was higher (P < .001, partial η2 = .429) in CS than TRAD, with no exercise-specific differences. Although MCV loss was lower in CS (P < .001, partial η2 = .364), post hoc analyses revealed that this benefit was only significant during CP and among males. However, the sex-related effect did not remain significant after adjusting for strength. While sex- and strength-related interactions emerged for MCV, they were limited to higher-order interactions involving repetitions but did not alter the overall CS benefit.

Conclusions: CS effectively maintained MCV, reduced RPE, and increased estimated repetitions to failure compared with TRAD across CP and LP using pneumatic-resistance devices. The benefit of CS in attenuating MCV loss differed by exercise and sex, with the sex effect moderated by strength.